Apple’s Tim Cook Urges Duke Graduates To “Challenge The Status Quo”

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently gave this year’s commencement address at his graduate school alma mater, Duke University. Cook received his MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, And while this speech isn’t unlike other commencement speeches that he’s given in the past, Cook did reference the current social and political climate. In addition to the usual Graduation speech platitudes like, “think different” and “be fearless”, Cook also took the opportunity to reference the recent #metoo and #timesup movements, as well as the students of Parkland, Florida.

“Fearless like the students of Parkland, Florida—who refuse to be silent about the epidemic of gun violence, and have rallied millions to their cause. Fearless like the women who say “me, too” and “time’s up”… women who cast light into dark places, and move us toward a more just and equal future.”

The Apple CEO also couldn’t help but take a shot at rival Facebook amid its recent privacy scandal involving Cambridge Analytica.

“We reject the excuse that getting the most out of technology means trading away your right to privacy. So we choose a different path: Collecting as little of your data as possible.”

Of course, this is far from the first time that Cook has criticized Mark Zuckerberg. Recently, Cook told MSNBC that “I wouldn’t be in this situation” when asked about the issues surrounding Facebook and it’s founder.

And in case the graduates really didn’t get the message that Apple rules, Facebook drools, Cook made sure to tout the accomplishments of his own company, as well as it’s late founder, Steve Jobs.

“Steve’s vision was that great ideas come from a restless refusal to accept things as they are. And those principles still guide us at Apple today. We reject the notion that global warming is inevitable.That’s why we run Apple on 100% renewable energy.”

Of course, in 2018, this isn’t anything that could be considered a hot take, and Cook ends his remarks by quoting Martin Luther King and sends the crowd home happy. Watch the whole speech below.